Debt Collection Gets Dirty
There is much to worry about having a debt collector chasing after you. Reports show that debt collectors have now turned to harassment, threats and informing a third party about the debt details. Debt collectors are desperately using some dirty tricks.
Most complaints against collectors involved repeated phone call harassment. These are calls made earlier than 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. for days, weeks, months or even years. Some of these calls leave threatening messages while some are trying to collect more than the actual amount of the debt.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially announced rising numbers for debt collector complaints. A representative of the debt collectors' side however, is saying that the rise in complaints is not solely attributed to illegal debt collection practices but that a portion of it is the result of debtors wanting to cash in on lawsuits.
In 2009, over 67,000 cases of harassment were filed and the instances of obscene language use in phone calls have risen by 35%. For the first six months of 2010, the total number of complaint reports has gone up by 13%.